2019. Students skip class and flood the streets in support of the climate. The prominent figures of the movement include Greta Thunberg and our own Anuna De Wever. The students are angry and fearful. And they are indignant. Because young people are wondering: “What about our future”? It’s a question that sparks heated political debate. One to which 11.11.11 formulates a strong response.
PR attention for both 11.11.11 and the climate
How we turned climate into priority No. 1 on the political agenda
NGO
Strategy
Concept
Campaign Development
PR
Media Strategy
Film & photo
Content production
The challenge: how can 11.11.11 stand out in the climate debate?
On 26 May 2019, Flemish, federal and European elections coincide. The traditional carrousel of promises, lists of demands and party programmes is in full swing. How can 11.11.11 stand out amidst the deafening roar of campaign machines and the hysteria of screaming tweets?
The approach: the answer came in the form of a scenario idea
This idea subsequently received the full support of none other than acclaimed film director Michael R. Roskam. A household name both on the Belgian and international film scene whose standing is illustrated by his Hollywood films and an Oscar nomination for ‘Rundskop’. The result: the sober short film ‘Een Verkeerde Toekomst’ (A Wrong Future). Starring: Jan Decleir, Natali Broods and Romy Louise Lauwers. Once again some very impressive names. And with Hollywood camera man Nicolas Karakatsanis on board we can only conclude: “What a cast, what a crew”.
That is how we embarked on this grand project:
- No posters with catchy taglines. Instead we made a conscious choice to tell a nuanced story in the form of a 12-minute short film.
- A gripping story about wrong choices in the climate struggle and the North-South issues. The story is set in Brussels in 2043, a good two decades after a series of disastrous decisions. The world as we know it is forever changed. Dona (Romy Louise Lauwers), her grandfather Jules Praat (Jan Decleir) and aunt Tina (Natali Broods) talk about how it all started.
- Teaser The trailer was launched on social media a few days in advance.
- A premiere as a press conference. Guests: Michaël R. Roskam himself, the cast and a mix of radio, TV and film journalists, such as former film journalist Ward Verrijcken. A striking launch for a unique short.
- The short film can be viewed free of charge at eenverkeerdetoekomst.be. We also designed both the website and the corresponding movie poster.
The short film can be viewed free of charge at eenverkeerdetoekomst.be. We also designed both the website and the corresponding movie poster.
In hindsight, what would former politicians do differently?
In addition to a fictitious politician (Jan Decleir) in ‘Een Verkeerde Toekomst’ we also included testimonials by actual (former) politicians. Top politicians who played a crucial role in Belgian politics. Herman Van Rompuy(CD&V), Nelly Maes (Volksunie), Louis Tobback (sp.a) and Jos Geysels (Agalev) look back on their career and the choices they made. What is their legacy? What are their regrets? What kind of advice do they have for the current generation? The videos were used as an ad on social media.
The results: PR, PR and more PR
A huge turnout, a host of interviews and thundering applause after the premiere of ‘Een Verkeerde Toekomst’. Het Journaal (VRT), Het Nieuws (VTM), Radio 2, Radio 1, Studio Brussel as well as several newspapers and magazines picked up the short film that same day. ‘Een Verkeerde Toekomst’ garnered plenty of online attention as well.
A legacy on social media
Don’t write off our ex-politicians just yet. No fewer than 16,572 people clicked through to the election memorandum at 11.be. 1,581 reactions, 436 remarks, and 275 shares: sparking a public debate in a neutral way? Mission accomplished!